Hi all,  I just wanted to report on the progress of the Nisco
museum in Ein Hod, Israel, recently burned by a major forest fire.

The building has been refurbished and the displays rebuilt and
a tribute to the boxes lost to the fire set up as a new exhibit.
The majority of the boxes (though some were charred outside) are
still functional and no apparent damage to the mechanism.

The Steinway Model O grand (non-player) was burned and charred.  The
piano still works but there was structural damage to the frame and
sever damage to the case.  (This piano was completely restored only two
years ago by my friend and piano tech who is a genius, making it all
the more of a loss.)  The Orchestrelle isn't working currently; I don't
know what is wrong with it as I didn't go into the mechanism to see if
I could understand what happened.

The Knabe Ampico was my concern and I am in the process of restoring
this, at least the Ampico portion.  Shortly after the fire, when I first
came to see the piano, the roll motor worked well in reverse but did
not go forward and I noticed that all the notes (or almost all) were
playing simultaneously.  I removed the primary and secondary valves to
my house for a closer inspection.  I found the solution in the
secondary valves.  This is a 1923 Model A Ampico with the upside down
valves, and when I inspected them I discovered that most of them were
stuck 'on'.  Disassembly showed that the valves had stuck to the
upper seat.

I returned today with the valves and installed them to the piano but
I couldn't test it as I forgot to bring with me the primary valves and
will return soon with the primary valves and connect them.  I am greatly
saddened when I look at the piano in the light now (when I first
visited there were no lights in the charred museum).  The beautiful
mahogany that was so painstakingly French polished is now blistered and
cloudy from the intense heat of the fire.  At least the flames spared
the piano.

The rest of the museum now looks presentable and Nisan Cohen has once
again opened it for tours.  The massive numbers of guests that he
previously had visit him have not yet returned, but the news had reported
that the museum had burned practically to the ground so it will take
a while for the news to spread that the museum is now open again.

Regards,
Eli Shahar